Pressed steel cover for domes



May 25, 1936. A. A. KRAMER x PRESSED STEEL COVER FOR DOMES Filed July 25, 1932 "depending annular larly tothe body portion of the cover member and character with a filler closed by a plug or similar closure member.

Patented May 26, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,041,938 PRESSED STEEL COVER FOR DOMES Andrew A. Kramer, Kansas City, Mo. Application July 23, 1932, Serial No. 624,216

6 Claims.

My invention relates to sheet metal covers for dome-like members, and more particularly to a pressed steel cover for domes. This application contains matter divided out from my co-pending application Serial No. 340,109, filed February 15,

1929, and is a continuation in part of said application.

It is a purpose of my invention to provide a new and improved cover member for a dome or expansion chamber,l said cover member being made out of heavy sheet metal and being of uni- -tary seamless construction, being die-shaped or pressed out of a sheet of heavy gauge steel.

It is a, particular purpose of my invention to provide 'a pressed steel cover member having a flange extending perpendicuexternally threaded to engage with a thread on the member to which said cover is attached, said 1cover member further being provided with a peripheral flange extending laterally therefrom to .clamp a gasket between the flange and the member to which the cover is attached.

Itis a further purpose of my invention to provide a cover member of the above mentioned opening therein that is Preferably, this plug is threaded in place and the opening is surrounded by a depending iiange, which is internally threaded to cooperate with the threads on the plug. The cover memberis further, preferably, provided with projections that are adapted to be engaged by a bar-like member for turning the cover member to remove the same` or to screw the same into closing position. Said projections may be` either in the form of stamped out portions or in the form of headed members extendingthrough openings in, and riveted to the body portion of the cover member. In either arrangement the projections provide a pair of substantially diametrically opposite lugs projecting from the top, or outer surface, of the cover member.

It is a specific purpose of my invention to provide a pressed steel cover member having a body portion provided with a doubled back peripheral edge portion providing a lateral llange thereon and terminating in a threaded portion extending perpendicularly to said doubled peripheral edge portion, butrspaced inwardly fromthe periphery of the cover member to provide a clamping portion on the cover member outwardly of the perpendicular ilange portion, and to provide said cover member with an internally threaded depending flange around a central opening therein'.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the description of the drawing proceeds. I desire to have it understood, however, that I dol not intend to limit myself to the particular details shown or described, except as 5 dened in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one form of my improved pressed steel cover member, mounted on a dome. l0

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, also showing a fragment of a dome, with which said cover member is associated, in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a slightly different form of cover member in position on a dome, portions of said cover and of the ph@ being in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. 20 Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a cover member, showing a closure member therefor held in closing position by a lever clamp.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the cover member shown in Fig. 5, and 25 Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 2, of the cover member shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the plug being partly in elevation.

Referring in detail to the drawing, in Figs. 1 and 2, one form of my improved cover member is shown as being applied to a dome Ill, having a top wall II provided with an opening therein surrounded by a depending internally threaded ange I 2. My improved cover member I3 is provided with a doubled back peripheral portion I4, providing a lateral flange thereon, and with a down-turned, or depending, externally threaded flange I5 thereon, said flange I5 being a perpendicular extension of the lower ply of the doubled portion I4 of said dome I3. The threads on the externally threaded portion I5 engage with threads on the internally threaded flange I2. The cover member is made out of heavy gauge sheet metal by a die-shaping process, and has the projections I6 struck out of. the same so as 45 to provideV a pair of lugs or projections on the body portion of the cover I3, which are arranged substantially diametrically opposite each other for engagement by a bar or similar member for turning the cover member to tighten the same on the dome-like member or other member upon which the same may be mounted, or to unscrew the same. f i Said cover member I3 is further provided with a down-turned inwardly extending internally threaded flange I1, surrounding a central opening therein and extending substantially perpendicularly to the body portion of the cover member I3. A ller plug or closure member I8 is provided for the opening in the cover member I3, and has a lateral peripheral flange I9 overlapping the body portion of the cover member I3, and a perpendicularly extending annular ange 20, which is externally threaded and engages with the internally threaded flange I1 on the cover member I3. The cover member I3 serves as a man-hole cover or similar closure, and the closure member I8 serves as a filler plug, either the cover member I3 or the closure member I8 being removable, as desired. A compressible gasket 2| is clamped between the doubled portion I4 of the cover member and the dome-like member, 'and a gasket 22 is clamped between the flange I9 on the filler plug I8 and the cover member I3.

The cover member described in detail above is the cover member shown and described in my application Serial No. 340,109, filed vFebruary l5, 1929, which application has been limited to the structure of the dome-like member itself, of which this application is a continuation in part, insofar as the subject matter relating to the cover is concerned.

In Figs. 3 and 4 a slightlymodied form of cover member is shown, which is applied toa dome-like member, and inasmuch as the particular form of dome-like member with which the cover member is associated is not a part of this invention, the same form of dome-like member is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 as in Figs. 1 and 2, and the same reference numerals are applied thereto. The cover member I3 shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is provided with a doubled peripheral edge portion I4 just as in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and for the same purpose, the gasket 2| being provided between the flange formed by the member I4 and the upper surfac'efof the dome-like member, while the depending externally threaded flange portion I5 is also the same as vshown in Figs. 1 and 2, and cooperates with the internally threaded flange I2 on the dome-like member in the same way. The size of the filler opening and the type of plug member provided therefor, may, of course, vary, and a somewhat larger filler opening is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, having the depending internally threaded flange I1 surrounding the same, with which the externally threaded flange 20 on the plug member I8 cooperates, the plug member I8 being provided with a flange I9 for clamping the gasket 22 between the same and the cover member I3', and having handles 41 thereon, to facilitate turning thereof and being provided with venting means 48, which are not part of this invention, and the internal structure of which is accordingly not shown herein.

The cover member I3 is provided with an offset at 23 where the body portion thereof joins with the doubled flange portion I4, this oifset providing for additional stiffness in the cover member I3 at the lateral peripheral flange thereon. In order to prevent loss of the plug member I8 the inner surface of the cover member may be provided vvith a U-shaped staple-like member 24, which may be welded or otherwise secured thereto, and the plug I8 with a perforated ear or lug 25, and a flexible member, such as a chain 26, may be provided between the members 24 and 25 for securing the plug I8 to the cover member so as to prevent loss thereof, said chain being connected with the plug by means of a swivel 49 and ring 50 to prevent turning of `said plug without interference by said chain. The cover member I3', instead of having the outwardly struck portions IG thereon to provide the lugs by which the same may be turned with a bar-like member, is provided with openings therein that are substantially diametrically opposite each other, through which the reduced portions 21 of the headed members 28 extend, the enlarged portions or head portions 28 forming projections or lugs, for engagement by a bar-like member, on the outer surface or top surface of the cover member I3. The headed members forming said lugs are secured in position by upsetting or riveting the reduced end portions 21 thereof on the inner face of the body portion of. the cover, as shown at 29.

Instead of providing a screw-threaded closure member for the opening in the cover member, a closure that is held in position by a clamping bar, may be provided. A cover member with such a closure for the ller plug opening is shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the cover member I3 shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 being the same precisely as the cover member shown in Figs. 3 and 4 except that the flange I1 is unthreaded, and except for the fact that a pair of ears or brackets are provided on Vthe top of the cover member I3, the bifurcated upstanding ear 3U being provided for pivotally mounting the clamping bar 3I thereon, and the bracket 32 being provided, which has a pivoted link 33 thereon having an opening 34 therein for receiving the end of the clamping bar 3I. 'Ihe clamping bar 3I is provided with a seat at 35 fora cam 36 provided on the end of a clamping lever 31, which Vis pivoted on the link 33. The central portion of the clamping bar 3I is provided with an enlargement 38 having pivot ears 39 thereon, upon which the plug member 40 is pivotally mounted, the plug member having a peripheral flange 4I thereon for clamping the gasket 42 against the outer face of the cover I3, and having an annular guide flange 43 thereon for centering the plug relative to the opening in the cover member. The lever is provided withan adjustable pivotal mounting vat 44 so that .movement of the clamping member 131 to clamping lposition will securely seat the plug on the cover member in liquid tight relation thereto. The cover member I3" is made with the same dies as the cover member I3', the flange I1 being left unthreaded 'and the brackets 3U and `32 being welded to the outer or upper surface thereof. The plug 48 is vented in a similar manner to the plug I8.

What I claim is:-

1. A seamless sheet metal cover member of the character described having a body portion provided with a doubled peripheral portion providing a laterally extending integral ange thereon, said doubled portion terminating in an annular portion spaced inwardly from the periphery of said cover portion and providing an integral flange extending perpendicularly to said doubled portion, said body Vportion having an 'opening therein and a closure for said opening.

2. A seamless sheet metal covermember of the character described 'having a body portion provided with a doubled peripheral 'portion 'providing a laterally 'extending integral ange thereon, said doubled portion terminating in 4an annular portion spaced inwardly `from the periphery of said cover portion and providing an integral flange 'extending perpendicularly to 'said ldoubled portion, 'said body portion having an opening therein, an integral ilange surrounding said opening and a closure for said opening.

3. A seamless sheet metal cover member of the `character described having a body portion provided with a doubled peripheral portion providing a laterally extending integral ange thereon, said doubled portion terminating in an annular portion providing an externally threaded integral flange spaced inwardly from the periphery of said cover member extending perpendicularly to said body portion, said body portion having an opening therein, an internally threaded integral ange extending from the inner face of said cover at said opening and a threaded closure plug engaging said internally threaded flange, said body portion having a pair of outwardly pressed lugs formed thereon.

4. A seamless sheet metal cover member of the character described having a body portion provided with a doubled peripheral portion providing a laterally extending integral flange thereon, said doubled portion terminating in an annular portion spaced inwardly from the periphery of said cover portion and providing an integral flange extending perpendicularly to said doubled portion, said body portion having an opening therein and a closure for said opening, said body portion having an annular offset therein adjacent said doubled peripheral portion substantially opposite said perpendicular flange.

5. A seamless sheet metal cover member of the character described having a body portion provided with a doubled peripheral portion providing a laterally extending integral flange thereon, said doubled portion terminating in an annular portion providing an externally threaded integral flange spaced inwardly from the periphery of said cover member extending perpendicularly to said body portion, said body portion having an opening therein, an internally threaded integral ange extending from the inner face of said cover at said opening and a threaded closure plug engaging said internally threaded flange, said body portion having a pair of headed members riveted in openings therein to provide a pair of opposed lugs on the outer face thereof.

6. The combination with a having an opening therein,

domelike member said member having an internally threaded flange surrounding said opening and having a wide annular seat formed by a top wide, flat, annular face on said wall portion adjacent said opening, of closure means for said opening comprising a sheet metal cover member having a body portion provided with a lateral, at, wide, integral flange and an externally threaded integral ange continuous with said lateral flange spaced inwardly from the periphery of said body portion and perpendicularly to said lateral flange engaging said internally threaded ange, and a compressible gasket surrounding said externally threaded ange and mounted between said lateral flange and said seat.

ANDREW A. KRAMER. 

